Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro calls Hegseth incompetent and leaves impeachment to Congress
On NBC's Meet the Press, Shapiro said Hegseth is "like an eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers" and is making America "less safe."
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Host Kristen Welker asked whether Hegseth should be . Shapiro said that is for to decide, but there must be "real accountability."
He called Hegseth "completely incompetent" and compared him to "an eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers." He said he thinks Hegseth is making America "less safe." Shapiro also said there seems to be a growing consensus among Democrats and Republicans in the current Congress that Hegseth's time as defense secretary should be up.
Welker then asked whether Trump has done things worthy of impeachment during his second term. Shapiro again pointed to accountability and said Congress would decide whether to take that path. According to the Daily Beast, the Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Daily Beast also reports that Trump is reportedly weighing whether to fire Hegseth, though Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Hegseth was doing a "very good job." It says Hegseth released a video on Thursday calling the impeachment articles against him a "sham."
- hundreds of callsfrom service members backing Hegseth's impeachment, as reported by the Military Religious Freedom FoundationThe Daily Beast
Three sides of the story
5 news outlets reported this
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Liberal2 outlets
Hegseth's mounting troubles and calls for accountability
The Daily Beast headlines Hegseth being "Torched" and opens on his "troubles," then quotes Shapiro calling him "completely incompetent" and saying there must be "real accountability." It sets the remarks after Democrats' wins, reports that Trump is reportedly weighing whether to fire Hegseth, and says Republicans in Congress are reportedly seeking to blame him. It adds Hegseth's Thursday video calling the impeachment articles a "sham" and quotes Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, who told military.com of "jubilation" among service members who want impeachment.
NBC News, which aired the interview, runs a video page titled with the "eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers" line. It sits among a full Shapiro interview on affordability and accountability and other Meet the Press segments after the midterm results.
Center0 outlets
Outlets on this side gave the story little coverage.
Conservative3 outlets
Shapiro's jab at Hegseth and his own record
The Daily Wire calls Shapiro's remarks a "vile, below-the-belt broadside" and turns to his record on Israel. It argues he avoids confronting the Democratic left, citing his July MS NOW interview with Willie Geist, his convention speech and a 2024 Trump post saying he "has done nothing for Israel." It also quotes his lines on accountability and Congress.
Breitbart News runs the quote in its headline and a partial transcript, including Shapiro saying impeachment is for Congress to determine and, when asked about Trump, that it is Congress's call whether to go down that path. The Washington Times headlines Shapiro saying it is up to Congress to oust Hegseth. It says Shapiro told Meet the Press that "real questions" about Hegseth's Pentagon tenure need to be addressed.
- The Daily Wire: Josh Shapiro Smears Hegseth As ‘Eight-Year-Old.’ But He Cowers Before His Party’s Anti-Israel Mob.
- Breitbart News: Gov. Shapiro: Sec. Hegseth Acting Like 'Eight-Year-Old Playing with Toy Soldiers'
- The Washington Times: 'Like an eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers': Shapiro says it's up to Congress to oust Hegseth
Which side made the stronger case?
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All sources: 5 articles from 5 outlets
Liberal (2)
- NBC News: Josh Shapiro: Sec. Hegseth behaving like ‘eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers’
- The Daily Beast: Hegseth Torched for Treating Troops Like ‘Toy Soldiers’
Conservative (3)
- Breitbart News: Gov. Shapiro: Sec. Hegseth Acting Like 'Eight-Year-Old Playing with Toy Soldiers'
- The Daily Wire: Josh Shapiro Smears Hegseth As ‘Eight-Year-Old.’ But He Cowers Before His Party’s Anti-Israel Mob.
- The Washington Times: 'Like an eight-year-old playing with toy soldiers': Shapiro says it's up to Congress to oust Hegseth
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